Owindia | Page 5

starve a
little, Kulu (the meat) is all the sweeter when it comes. I suppose

Michel has killed enough to give you many a merry night, seated round
the camp fire with some good fat ribs or a moose nose, and a fine kettle
of tea; then you wrap yourself in your blanket, or light your pipe and
feel like a 'big master.'"
Peter's picture of comfort and enjoyment pleased the Indians, and they
laughed heartily and testified their approval, all but poor Accomba. She
hung her head, and sadly fondled the baby at her breast. "You may
laugh, boys," she said at length, "and you know what starving is as well
as I do, though you are pretty well off now; it is not for myself I speak,
I can bear that kind of thing as well as other women, but it comes hard
for the children. Before Se Tene, my man, killed his last moose, we
were starving for nearly two moons; a little dried fish and a rat or two,
and now and then a rabbit, was we got: even the fish failed for some
time, and there was hardly a duck or partridge to be seen. We had to eat
two of the dogs at last, but, poor things, they had little flesh on their
bones."
"Eh! eh! e--h!" exclaimed the Indians, who however undemonstrative
under ordinary circumstances, can be full of sympathy where they can
realize the affecting points of a story.
"And the children," asked one of the party, "I suppose the neighbours
helped you a little with them?"
"One of my cousins took little Tetsi for a while," replied the poor
woman, "and did what she could for him, but they were all short of
game as we were, only their men went off after the deer, and plenty, of
them got to the lakes for duck; but Michel,--"
"Well, what did he do? I suppose he was off with his gun the first of
any of them?" said Peter. "I'll venture there shall not be a moose or deer
within twenty miles, but Michel the Hunter shall smell him out."
"Yes, he went at last," sighed Accomba; "but my man has had one of
his ugly fits upon him for all the winter; he would not hunt anywhere
near the Fort, for fear of meeting a white face; and he vowed I was
making friends with them, and bidding them welcome to the camp, and
so he was afraid to leave it; and then at last, when I begged him to go
and get food for his children, he swore at me and called me a bad name,
and took up his gun to shoot me."
"Oh, I suppose he only said that in sport," said another of the party; and
yet it was plain that Accomba's story had produced a great sensation

among her auditors.
"_In sport!_" exclaimed Accomba, now fairly roused to excitement by
the apparent incredulity of her listeners; "In sport, say you? No, no,
Michel knows well what he says, though sometimes I think he is hardly
responsible for his actions; but look you, boys, my husband vowed to
shoot me once, and I stayed his arm and fell on my knees and tried to
rouse him to pity; but I will do so no more, and if he threatens me again
I will let him accomplish his fell purpose, and not a cry or sound shall
ever escape my lips. But you, Tetsi," continued the poor woman, who
was now fairly sobbing, "you are his brother, you might speak to him
and try to bring him to reason; and if I die, you must take care of my
poor children,--promise me that, Tetsi and Antoine, they are your own
flesh and blood, do not let them starve. 'Niotsi Cho,' the Great Spirit
will give it you back again."
There was a great silence among the Indians when Accomba had
finished speaking. An Indian has great discernment, and not only can
soon discover where the pathos of a story lies, but he will read as by
intuition how much of it is true or false. Moreover, Michel's character
was well known among them all, and his eccentricities had often
excited their wonder and sometimes their censure. The poor woman's
story appealed to each one of them: most of all did it appeal to the heart
of Sarcelle her brother, who was another occupant of the room that
evening.
"It is shocking, it is monstrous." exclaimed he at full length. "My sister,
you shall come with me. I will work for you, I will hunt for you and
your children. Michel shall not threaten you again, he is a 'Nakani' man;
he does not know what he says or what he